FEATURE Federal Minister of Agriculture cont. from pg. 41 generate offset credits through the adoption of sustainable agricultural land management activities that are not currently considered to be common practice. The Clean Fuel Standard will also encourage more crop-based biofuels to be blended into gas products. BB: How does the Government of Canada plan to address interprovincial trade barriers? HMCB: The Government of Canada is strongly committed to working collaboratively with provincial and territorial partners as interprovincial cooperation is critical to reduce trade barriers. A stronger domestic economy will help to create jobs, expand access to Canadian goods and services, and build a more prosperous economy. At the federal-provincial-territorial Committee on Internal Trade Ministerial meeting in December 2021, Minister Dominic LeBlanc reiterated the Government of Canada’s commitment to advancing internal trade priorities in support of Canada’s economic recovery efforts. During the meeting, Ministers endorsed accelerated timelines to finalize negotiations of non-medical cannabis and financial services into the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, the establishment of a pan-Canadian implementation task force for advancing interprovincial trade in alcohol, and strengthening labour mobility efforts in Canada. Minister LeBlanc called for greater ambition and collaborative efforts to reduce barriers to trade, and demonstrated federal leadership by committing to do all he can to remove any remaining federal barriers. Through Budget 2021, the Government of Canada also announced a suite of federal actions on internal trade, including a commitment of $21 million over three years to reduce internal trade barriers and to create a repository of open and
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accessible pan-Canadian internal trade data to identify barriers. There are important economic opportunities with enhancing trade in the agriculture sector, and we are working collaboratively with provinces and territories to advance this work on several fronts. Since the Canadian Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 2017, we have worked collaboratively to develop harmonized standards in the transportation and trucking sectors to ensure greater free flow of goods across Canada, as well as established clearer rules for organic products and the elimination of duplication for food oversight and safety. The Government of Canada’s leadership in bringing the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations into effect, ensures greater regulatory harmonization in the agri-food sector. This includes the launch of the domestic comparability assessment tool for provinces and territories to assess their food safety systems against the federal system, facilitating a better understanding of the domestic regulatory environment. Also, in 2019, the Government acted decisively when it removed the only remaining federal barrier to the interprovincial movement of alcoholic beverages. Minister LeBlanc welcomed the efforts of provinces and territories that have taken steps toward directto-consumer sales and has called on remaining counterparts to take similar steps towards addressing long-standing trade barriers in this sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges for Canadians, and now more than ever, it is imperative that we have interprovincial cooperation to eliminate barriers to trade and strengthen the Canadian economy. CLOSING BB: Is there anything you would like highlight to our readers to conclude this interview?
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HMCB: The Government of Canada’s vision for agriculture is to have a world-leading food system that is environmentally and economicallysustainable, and socially-responsible. Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector is a significant contributor to the Canadian economy, driving $143 billion of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), one in eight jobs, over $66 billion of our exports and almost $15 billion of our trade surplus. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the sector outperformed the Canadian economy in 2020, increasing by 7.6 per cent. The Government continues to explore ways to support a socially-responsible and inclusive agriculture and agri-food sector by encouraging the participation of underrepresented and marginalized groups across the value chain, including women, youth, and members of Indigenous and visible minority communities. We are committed to supporting Canadian farmers and industry partners who are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and make their operations more sustainable, productive and competitive. This includes investments such as the Agriculture Climate Solutions — $185 million Living Labs initiative, the $200 million On-Farm Climate Action Fund, and the $165 million Agricultural Clean Technology program that aim to help farmers adopt new, beneficial management practices and clean technologies to boost productivity and lower emissions. The Government’s significant investments in agriculture clearly demonstrate our vision of agriculture as a key driver for economic recovery, and a key partner for the fight against climate change. Together, we are creating the conditions for farmers and the entire agriculture and agrifood sector to continue to prosper. B
JANUARY 2022